16th September 2024 – (Hong Kong) The recent surge in student suicides has cast a stark light on the urgent need for comprehensive reform in the city’s approach to education, particularly in addressing the fundamental questions of life and death that young people grapple with.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention’s latest findings paint a grim picture: a sharp increase in suicide rates among children and adolescents, with a particularly alarming rise among girls under 15. These statistics are not mere numbers; they represent young lives cut short, families devastated, and a society failing its most vulnerable members.
At the heart of this crisis lies a profound disconnect between the education system’s focus on academic achievement and the deeper, existential questions that plague young minds. While Hong Kong’s schools excel in producing high-achieving students, they have fallen woefully short in equipping these same students with the tools to navigate life’s most challenging aspects, including the inevitability of death.
The recent study conducted by MWYO in collaboration with the Hong Kong Life and Death Studies Association offers a glimmer of hope amidst the gloom. It reveals that most secondary school students hold a generally positive outlook on the meaning of life. However, the concerning minority who view death as a potential release from suffering underscores the urgent need for a more comprehensive approach to education that addresses these fundamental issues head-on.
The study’s identification of four key elements of the meaning of life – quality of life, life value, life goals, and life freedom – provides a crucial framework for reimagining education in Hong Kong. While students rated these elements positively, with average scores ranging from 3.0 to 3.3 out of 5, there is clearly room for improvement. More importantly, the study highlights the necessity of integrating these concepts into the broader curriculum, rather than treating them as isolated topics.
Perhaps the most striking finding is the students’ acknowledgment of death as a natural and inevitable occurrence, with an average acceptance score of 2.89. This level of maturity and understanding among young people presents an opportunity – one that the education system has thus far failed to capitalise on. By embracing this acceptance and building upon it, schools can foster a healthier, more holistic approach to life and death.
The varied responses regarding trade-offs between life and material possessions reveal the complex landscape of values that young people navigate. While some students emphasised the importance of cherishing life and maintaining health to pursue their aspirations, others prioritised power and wealth. This diversity of perspectives underscores the need for an education system that encourages critical thinking and personal reflection on these fundamental issues.
The teachers’ concerns over a lack of resources and training within schools to effectively teach about life and death topics are particularly troubling. It is a damning indictment of an education system that has prioritised rote learning and exam performance over the development of emotional intelligence and existential understanding. The study’s recommendation that the Education Bureau revise the “Values Education Curriculum Framework” to replace “life education” with “death education” is not just sensible; it is imperative.
The proposal to enhance the curriculum with elements related to loss and mortality, and to integrate death education across various subjects, offers a path forward. By fostering ongoing discussions and reflections among students, such an approach could help demystify death, reduce anxiety around it, and provide young people with the tools to cope with loss and grief – skills that are woefully lacking in the current system.
Lai Cheuk-yin, Deputy Director of Research at MWYO, rightly points out the need for active collaboration between stakeholders and non-governmental organisations to develop diversified death education programmes. This multi-faceted approach is crucial in creating public spaces for discussions about life and death, helping society better understand the benefits of such education.
The rise in teenage suicides, particularly among girls, as reported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, is a tragic testament to the current system’s failings. The increase from two female suicides under 15 in 2022 to 16 in 2023 is not just a statistic; it’s a clarion call for immediate and drastic action.
Professor Paul Yip’s observation that most suicides were linked to problems at home or at school, exacerbated by the prolonged closure of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic, highlights the interconnected nature of these issues. The difficulty in developing support networks during lockdowns, coupled with the challenges of returning to in-person teaching, created a perfect storm of stressors for vulnerable teenagers.
The Education Bureau’s implementation of a Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism in all secondary schools is a step in the right direction, but it is reactive rather than proactive. While it may help identify at-risk students, it does not address the root causes of their distress. A more comprehensive approach that integrates death education into the curriculum could provide students with the tools to cope with life’s challenges before they reach crisis point.
The Department of Health’s discovery that 2.8% of Hong Kong students had contemplated suicide in the 2022-23 academic year highlights the magnitude of the issue. The increase in referrals for psychosocial and behavioural problems further emphasises the necessity for a comprehensive strategy to address student well-being.
The decrease in suicide rates among the elderly, particularly women aged 60 and above, offers a glimmer of hope and a potential model for addressing youth suicide. The success in reducing elderly suicide rates through community engagement and proactive outreach could inform strategies for supporting younger populations.
The government’s Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism, while well-intentioned, falls short of addressing the fundamental issues at play. The focus on identifying and supporting students with higher risk is crucial, but it does not address the broader cultural and educational factors that contribute to student distress.
The implementation of the 4Rs Mental Health Charter (Rest, Relaxation, Relationship, and Resilience) is a positive step, but its voluntary nature and the relatively low uptake (only 34% of public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools as of May 2024) suggest that more needs to be done to ensure widespread adoption and effectiveness.
The call for a public health approach to tackling student suicide, as advocated by Professor Paul Yip, is particularly pertinent. By moving away from a purely psychiatric model and embracing a broader understanding of mental health and well-being, Hong Kong’s education system could better serve its students.
The emphasis on creating a “happy campus” environment and encouraging students to enjoy school and feel accepted is crucial. However, this must be coupled with a deeper examination of the pressures and expectations placed on students, both by the education system and society at large.
The caution against excessive social media use and the pressure parents may feel to compare their children to others highlights the need for a more holistic approach to student well-being that extends beyond the classroom. Open communication between parents and children, as advocated by Dr Esther Ho Yuk-fan, is essential but must be supported by a broader cultural shift in attitudes towards success and achievement.
In conclusion, the crisis facing Hong Kong’s education system is not just one of academic performance or mental health in isolation. It is a fundamental crisis of purpose and approach. By embracing death education and integrating it into a broader curriculum that addresses the existential questions facing young people, Hong Kong has the opportunity to transform its education system into one that truly prepares students for life in all its complexity.
The implementation of death education should not be seen as a morbid addition to the curriculum, but rather as a life-affirming approach that helps students understand and appreciate the value of their existence. By confronting the reality of mortality, students can be empowered to live more fully, with a greater appreciation for the present moment and a clearer sense of their values and priorities.
Moreover, death education can serve as a catalyst for broader discussions about mental health, resilience, and the meaning of success. It can challenge the narrow definitions of achievement that have long dominated Hong Kong’s education system and society, encouraging a more holistic view of personal fulfilment and well-being.
